The present invention pertains generally to terminating wires with terminals, and more particularly to the removal of terminals from a carrier strip during the termination process.
Processes for terminating insulated wires for connecting the wire to electrical apparatus is well-known. The use of a carrier strip to mutually attach and maintain a number of terminals for facilitating their handling and one-by-one sequential removal therefrom for use in a terminating method is also well known, and seen, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,404,744, 4,850,905, and 5,428,890. In a typical application, terminals are cut away from the carrier strip and crimped about the end of an insulated wire, in either order, often by a die or other apparatus capable of performing both functions. In order for the terminals to fit over the end of an insulated wire, they typically include a generally cylindrical and dielectric barrel section at the end opposite the electrical contact. Being at the nonconductive end of the terminal, the barrel sections are often used to attach the links of the carrier strip that extend between the terminals.
During the termination process, a die or other apparatus typically employs a cutting blade to separate the terminal being applied from the carrier strip, and typically the blades are applied simultaneously to both sides of a barrel section, thereby cutting both adjacent links of the carrier strip substantially simultaneously. When a terminal on the end of the strip is being used, the second blade is superfluous and the one blade cuts the single adjacent link of the carrier strip.
The dielectric portion of the terminal, which includes the barrel section, is typically fairly deformable. As such, the cutting blades which endeavor to cut away the links of the carrier strip from the terminal sometimes fail to completely cut through, the dielectric material deforming in a manner so as to relieve the concentrated stress of the cutting blade and avoiding complete detachment.
Failure of the blades to completely detach the carrier strip links is a significant manufacturing problem, as it causes down time on an automated assembly line, requires human attention to remove the improperly cut terminal or carrier strip, and requires human attention to place the respective components appropriately to re-initiate the automated assembly process. The frequency of this problem grows as the cutting blades wear and lose their sharpness over a large number of cutting cycles.
To address the problems caused by a high frequency of incomplete detachment, a new terminal is disclosed. The terminal is disposed on a carrier strip, and the terminal includes a contact portion and a generally round barrel portion attached to the carrier strip. The barrel portion has a generally squared shoulder where the barrel portion meets the carrier strip. The squared shoulder facilitates cutting the terminal completely from the carrier strip.
Also disclosed is a carrier strip integrally connecting and including a plurality of terminals. Each of the plurality of terminals includes a contact portion and a generally round barrel portion attached to said carrier strip. The barrel portion has a generally squared shoulder where the barrel portion meets the carrier strip. The squared shoulder facilitates the complete removal of the terminals from the carrier strip.
Also disclosed is a method for terminating an insulated wire having an insulated portion and exposed end with a terminal from a carrier strip. The terminal includes a contact portion, a generally round barrel portion attached to the carrier strip, the barrel portion including a generally squared shoulder where the barrel portion meets the carrier strip, and an intermediate portion disposed between the contact portion and the barrel portion. The method includes the steps of inserting the insulated wire having an exposed end into the terminal such that the exposed end is inserted substantially into the intermediate portion of the terminal and in electrical contact with the contact portion of the terminal and the insulated portion is inserted substantially into the barrel portion of the terminal; crimping the intermediate portion of the terminal over the exposed end portion of the wire such that the contact between the contact portion of the terminal and the exposed wire portion is maintained; and cutting the terminal from the carrier strip by shearing the barrel portion of the terminal at the generally squared shoulder.